music

Sure, there are some clunkers (Elton John?), some pretentious festival cliches (oh great, Wilco), and at least one ostensible punchline for the GenX set (Billy Idol!), but with names like Kendrick Lamar, St. Vincent, and Toro Y Moi,this year's Outside Lands is a must.

With allusions to the Duke Ellington Orchestra's 1963 tour of Iran, the world premiere of Isfahan Blues, a co-production of the African-American Shakespeare Company and Golden Threadhappening in May, tells the story an American jazz musician and an Iranian actress and the improbable friendship they develop as they travel to the beautiful Persian city of Isfahan.

Haight Street, like a great record, invokes a by-gone era of great musicians, daring artwork, and high, um, fidelity. That’s why out of the list of San Francisco’s best record stores, many of the greats are just blocks from each other down Haight Street. So grab an eco-friendly bag, hop on the 71, and prepare yourself for an afternoon of musical nostalgia on this do-it-yourself walking tour:

SXSW, now in progress, is known for being the jumping point for many barely-discovered bands before they make it big time​ ​(Haim and CHVRCHES, just to name two). For those of you who can't make it to Austin,​ check out these 10 acts who will soon be coming to Baghdad by the Bay.

We’re used to reading news about record stores/venues closing up shop, but local independent music junkies received some refreshing news last week: Oakland’s beloved record store/venue hybrid 1-2-3-4 Go! Records is opening a second store in San Francisco soon, a great (if not counter-trending) sign for the local music scene. More details to come, but our hearts are warmed and our bodies reinvigorated. Let’s celebrate at these no-duh shows:

Don’t know about you guys, but once spring hits and days get longer, all I wanna do is grab a drink after work, then maybe another, then go straight to the local dancehall for a springtime weird-off. Doesn’t that sound like the greatest day imaginable?

Stroll through a nightclub setting while sipping on handcrafted cocktails at the SF Symphony’s SoundBox, an after-hours harmonic experiment in which classical masterpieces are set to a backdrop of abstract imagery by video artist Adam Larsen.